The content of Application No. TOKUGANHEI 11-059311 which was filed in Japan on Mar. 5, 1999 and on which the claim to priority for this application is based, is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a power head mounting structure suitable for a vehicle having both an engine and a motor, such as a hybrid vehicle driven by either an engine or a motor, in response to driving conditions.
A power head for control of an electrical drive motor is provided in an electrical vehicle. The power head is mounted, for example, on a mount linking member of the vehicle body on both sides of a power unit compartment for housing the motor (refer to Japanese Unexamined Laid-Open Patent Application publication H10-329701).
In a hybrid vehicle in which an engine and a motor are mounted side-by-side in the width direction of the vehicle, however, because the engine is generally higher than the motor, there is no space to provide a mounting member above the engine, and it is difficult to mount the power head using the above-noted structure, similar to the case of the electrical vehicle.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a power head mounting structure suitable for a vehicle having an engine and a motor.
To achieve the above-noted object, the structure according to the present invention has a drive unit, a side member, a side mounting member, a power head mounting member, and a power head for controlling a motor. The drive unit has an engine and a motor, and is mounted within a drive unit compartment. The side member is disposed on one side within the drive unit compartment, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The side mounting member is fixed to the side member, and resiliently supports one side of the drive unit. The power head mounting member is fixed so as to straddle the side member and the side mounting member. The power head is mounted onto the power head mounting member.
The power head mounting member of the present invention has an upper plate and at least two feet. The upper plate is fixed on the top of the side mounting member. The power head is mounted on the upper plate. The feet extend away from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and downward from the upper plate, and are fixed to the side member.